With the support of the Carl Zeiss Stiftung, the de Bakker group was established at the Leibniz Institute on Aging in January 2026. Our primary aim is to uncover the mechanisms of brain aging through cross-species comparisons.

Neurodegenerative diseases

Neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease are projected to affect up to 150 million people worldwide by 2050. Although aging is the major risk factor for most of these disorders, the biological mechanisms underlying brain aging remain poorly understood. This knowledge gap severely limits the development of effective preventive strategies against age-associated neurodegenerative diseases.

The de Bakker group seeks to identify the genetic and molecular mechanisms that drive brain aging in vertebrates. To this end, we investigate which genetic and molecular factors determine differences in brain aging rates between closely related species with distinct aging trajectories. 

Our work focuses on two killifish species: Nothobranchius kadleci, which exhibits slow brain aging, and Nothobranchius furzeri, which displays rapid brain aging. Their short lifespan (4–9 months) and the pronounced age-related brain phenotypes in N. furzeri make these species powerful and tractable model systems.

Using a multi-omics approach, we aim to identify genetic and molecular factors that either protect against rapid brain aging or contribute to its progression. Artificial intelligence and bioinformatics are employed to pinpoint key targets for molecular intervention, such as proteins or genetic loci, with the potential to slow brain aging. We then use molecular biology and genetic engineering approaches to modulate these targets and delay brain aging phenotypes.

Through this multidisciplinary strategy, the de Bakker group aims to identify core drivers of brain aging in vertebrates and to lay the groundwork for interventions that may ultimately delay brain aging and the onset of neurodegenerative diseases in humans.